TONS of Ways To Use Christmas Decor Basics Year After Year
November 18, 2025
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How to use your existing holiday decor in different ways this season!
'Tis the season for overconsumption, right? 😂
Social media adds a bit of virtual pressure to purchase all new holiday decor
each year. I've recently watched numerous YouTube videos where at
least a thousand dollars were spent on new Christmas decor. At the
least!
I even heard one YouTuber say that she feels like she has to buy new decor
every year to keep it interesting for her viewers, and that made me sad.
Of course I enjoy picking up a few new items each year -- it's SO fun to
walk the aisles and see the new tchotchkes. For me it's a dopamine hit to
check out all of the festive decor.
This year I picked up some new cedar garlands, you can see my comparison of
six different versions of faux cedar greenery here.
So I get it...I'm a content creator. It's part of the gig. But I want you know
your decor is just fine. There are so many ways to use what you
already have!
Switching up how I use our existing Christmas decor is the fun part for me! I
understand many of you would rather poke your eyeballs out than think up new
ways to decorate each year, so I'm sharing numerous ways to reuse these
holiday decor basics.
How to use ornaments in your Christmas decor.
Ornaments aren't just for the Christmas tree!:
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The great thing about ornaments is that they are fairly inexpensive. Most of
ours are cheaper, shatterproof versions.
Ornaments are a great pop of sparkle or shine in a pretty vignette:
Mix different sizes or colors in with greenery and candles and you'll have a
lovely tabletop display that only takes minutes to put together.
I always find centerpieces hard, because you don't want them to interfere with
eating or seeing across the table. Laying down garland and topping with an
assortment of ornaments makes for a fun way to add some sparkle and
color.
The easiest way to use ornaments in your holiday decor is simply
placing them a bowl:
I like to add a bit of greenery for some added interest and color.
Remember to remove hooks before using ornaments in your displays!
It doesn't have to be a standard round bulb of course! I cut the string off
of these cute reindeer feed ornaments because I think they are adorable out
on their own:
I love using bulbs in our mantel decor as well! One year I used real
greenery draped over our deep mantel (at our first house) and nestled some
shiny ornaments throughout:
It was SO EASY and looked fantastic.
You can hang Christmas ornaments in your mantel garland for added color and
texture as well. These
gold twisted icicles
are so dainty and pretty:
I love how
Kelly mixed an ornament garland
in her mantel greenery:
I think they make more of an impact when nestled in there together. If you
don't have an ornament garland you can use some wire or string to make your
own.
Check out this post for
a ton of Christmas fireplace decor ideas!
If you have a bunch of leftover ornaments, you can make a
DIY ornament wreath:
Don't forget the power of spray paint! A few years ago I wanted to change up
some of my bright red tree decor, so I gave our garlands, bell ornaments and
bulbs a few coats of spray paint:
For around $8 for a can of spray paint, you'll get a whole new look for your
tree!
Here are a few more ornament ideas!
- If you drape garland over doorways, dangle a few ornaments with ribbon for some added color.
- You can change up basic bulbs by hanging them with jute twine (for a rustic look) or ribbons instead of wire hooks.
- Use ornaments in your place settings! Use them as a place card by writing names with a gold permanent marker. Your guests can take them home!
Tips for using bells in your holiday decor.
I absolutely LOVE using bells of all shapes and sizes throughout our holiday
decor!
A few years ago I started adding small Christmas bells to our trees:
Those round jingle bells are perfect at the end of a tree branch. The
best part is, if your cat climbs the tree like ours do, bells make a great
alarm system. :) Also, the tinkle of the bells is quite soothing.
These beauties look great everywhere! Last year I used some floral wire and
these tiny brass bells
to make a dainty strand to drape into some garland:
These bell picks from Hobby Lobby are a favorite of mine -- I use them ALL
over! This year I tucked them into a swag of greenery hanging over a
doorway:
These smaller bells look great scattered in greenery or holiday display:
A centerpiece with greenery and bells would be so simple but stunning. Add in
a few candles or battery-operated twinkling lights and you're set!
I also like hanging them in the middle of a wreath. These are the bells I
spray painted (pictured above), I left the bottom the original red
color:
A shiny bell always looks great hanging over a mirror as well -- either draped
from garland or just hung with ribbon.
And of course, large bells make even more of a statement! These
vintage looking gold cow bells
came on a rope, I replaced that with burgundy ribbon:
This year I hung all of them together from the end of our mantel:
I have various sizes and shapes in our Christmas stash, and love figuring out
fun new ways to use them in our decor.
Ways to use berry pick sprays in Christmas decor.
Oh my, I have a storage bin just for my berry picks! They add such
great texture and color in all of the greenery we use this time of year.
They look great in a vase -- by themselves or with greenery:
This is such an easy way to decorate for the holidays.
Usually I place a bunch of them in
our stairway garlands:
These berries come in a TON of colors, I mostly use a variety of red/burgundy
options. Most craft stores like Michael's or Hobby Lobby have plenty of
options to pick from.
This year I wanted a more subdued look on the stair railing, so I hung a
couple of berry picks behind my bells in the garland:
This gave me a focal point at a few spots along the railing. They add such a
festive touch!
I use some solid colored berries and some that with a "sugared" look that adds
a bit of glam to holiday decor.
Last year I added a bunch of them to make an exaggerated and full display on
our mantel:
This year I only used a few on the fireplace, so I had plenty to add to our
tree:
Berry sprays are a GREAT addition to a Christmas tree -- you can use them to
fill in empty spots in the branches. I literally just stick them in here and
there, there are no rules!
You can use these to add a festive touch just about anywhere. I tuck them into
wreaths and displays all over the house:
I highly recommend having a
pair of wire cutters
on hand when decorating with these -- I like to cut the picks down so I can
spread them out in my decor.
Using ribbons and bows in holiday decorations.
Bows became quite trendy over the past few years, but I think they've been a
holiday decor staple forever! Not only bows, but just simple ribbon.
This velvety ribbon
is a favorite of mine -- over the years I've used it so many places.
Try draping it from a mantel for some added elegance:
I hung ornaments from the garland that year as well! :)
You saw how I used some soft ribbon on our staircase and tree earlier in the
post. If you don't have a lot to work with, try tying the ribbon and letting
it fall instead of making bows:
Ribbon can make a beautiful statement when you let it hang from garland or a
wreath:
Sometimes you just want a little touch of color or softness. Try using ribbon
to wrap a stack of coffee table books:
Or "wrap" your art or framed photos:
I love it in these unexpected places! For the frames, I cut them down and hot
glued the ribbon to the back of the pictures so I didn't have to use it all
around the big frames.
You can create a whole new look by using these basics in different ways each
season! You don't need to buy all new decor to refresh your Christmas
decoration every year. :)
Do you use any of these staples around your home? I'd love to know how you use
them!
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